A South Cumbrian butcher’s shop has triumphed at a major industry awards competition.
Dales Traditional Butchers in Kirkby Lonsdale received critical acclaim at The Dalziel Butchers Show 2026.
The butchers claimed two Golden Cleaver awards for their quartet of savoury truffles as well as their venison, cranberry and sage sausage.
The shop also had six products awarded three stars and two offerings given two stars.
Asked about how it feels to have won the awards, Mark Duckworth, 55, the director butcher at Dales, who has been at the shop for 27 years, said: “It is amazing and it gives the staff such a morale boost.”
Mr Duckworth said the wins were a ‘team effort’ and that everyone was ‘so chuffed’ to learn that the shop had claimed the prestigious Golden Cleavers.
The director butcher and his wife celebrated the big wins in Harrogate by having ‘quite a few drinks’ after the ceremony, he said.
And Mr Duckworth added that the celebrations have continued with the eight staff who work at Dales since he returned.
It has not just been staff getting in on the celebrations either as Mr Duckworth said that customers have been very complimentary since the Harrogate wins.
“They have been like ‘Yeah, we knew that you do it, well done, congratulations!” the butcher said.
Anyone wishing to get a peek at the coveted Golden Cleavers that now belong to Dales is in luck too, as the awards now sit with pride on top of the counter in the butcher’s shop.
Following the win last Sunday, Dales Butchers took to social media and wrote: “For such a small independent butcher’s shop in the beautiful market town of Kirkby Lonsdale, we genuinely cannot be prouder of what our team has achieved today.”
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